INVESTMENT CRITERIA & PROCESS

What we’re looking for

We invest in companies headquartered in the Pacific Northwest, which includes the US states of Washington,
Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, and the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Stage

We focus on seed and early stage investments. Most companies we fund are seeking to raise an investment round
of $500k to $1.5M in either preferred stock or convertible notes. We frequently lead investment rounds and take a
board seat. We also actively syndicate and invest alongside other angel groups, individual angels and venture funds.

Sectors

We invest in a wide range of market sectors, including Information Technology,
Consumer Products & Services, Hardware and Life Sciences.

What is the application process

The best way to get our attention is to get referred by someone we know. That said, you can also send us your deck for review via ProSeeder, and we’ll follow-up with next steps.

Introductory Meeting

Companies that meet our investment criteria will be invited to meet with AoA staff. The objective of this meeting is to have a conversation about your business, explore how we can work together, and share feedback on your presentation and fundraising goals. An investor deck is typically a good framework for guiding the dialog. Each month, AoA staff will meet with 30+ companies, of which 6 will be invited to present to the AoA Screening Committee.

Step 2

Screening Committee Meeting

The AoA Screening Committee is composed of about 15 of the AoA’s most active and experienced angels. The company will deliver a 10 minute presentation followed by 5 minute Q&A. Each month, 3 companies will be invited by the Screening Committee to present at the Member Meeting.

Step 3

Member Meeting

During this meeting, companies will have the opportunity to network with the entire AoA membership. Companies will also deliver a 10 minute presentation followed by a 5 minute Q&A. Angels interested in following up will sign up to conduct due diligence.

Step 4

Due Diligence

We target to complete due diligence and provide an investment decision within 6 weeks. Typically an AoA member will step up to lead the process on behalf of the AoA investor group, so you will interact thru that single point of contact. Depending on the deal terms, that AoA deal lead may also take a board seat. We invest in about half the companies that present at the Member Meeting.

Our seed funds

The AoA Seed Funds invest alongside the AoA, adding to the group’s financial firepower. Investors in the Seed Funds passively participate in the AoA’s ongoing investments and gain diversification across a broad portfolio of early stage companies.

Qualifying for seed fund investsment

Companies that successfully raise capital from the AoA should consult their AoA deal lead to learn if they qualify for a matching Seed Fund investment. The Seed Funds are managed by committees of experienced angel investors.